SORRY! Out of Office on Business

 


Travel has changed its character over the last century from being a life-saving improvement to more of a leisure activity, status symbol, or simply a mode of escapism.

It amused me to read in an article by a seasoned travel writer, that rich individuals were paying big sum of money to be hoisted atop Mount Everest by the aid of trained Nepali Sherpas. I also heard that super billionaires are paying their way to space, and a list of such tourists is almost ready. People are now ready to spend money to be in some place, for a one-of- a-kind experience.

But what if your work takes you places? This book is all about that – my impromptu visits to places around the world. I was not expecting any of them to happen but when they did, I expected nothing but good business, a change of air, and possibly a new connection. Yet, each trip became memorable and remains so to this day for various reasons – some for the tranquility and others for their historicity, adventure, food, people; or, simply as an experience.

I have organized the narrative in this book by continents in the alphabetical order, primarily to keep readers from wrongly rating the places I had been to. My trips begin in South Africa, moves to Asia, and then to Australia, somewhat following the same evolutionary route humans are believed to have taken million years ago. My next set of journeys begins in Turkey, the crossover to Europe, and moves on to North America, and then to South America, ending in Chile-the southernmost country in the world.

Readers may note that the travels described in this book were over a period of ten years, so the description might have changed over time. All pictures were taken by the author, habitually using a mobile phone.

 

Partho Dhang

July 2, 2020

 

 

Index

1.     In the Cradle of Humankind: Johannesburg, South Africa

2.     A trout meal on top of Africa: Sani Top, Lesotho

3.     Potpourri of culture, food and romanticism: Casablanca and Marrakech, Morocco

4.     Clawing up to a Tiger’s Nest:  Paro, Bhutan

5.     Flight over Mount Everest: Katmandu, Nepal

6.     Visit to a Shangri-La of rugged beauty: Valley of flowers, Uttarakhand, India

7.     Traversing the world’s highest motorable road: Khardung La, Ladakh-India

8.     Mystified by a Tomb and a Tale of Love Unmatched: Taj Mahal, Agra-India

9.     Along an Ancient Hindu Trail: Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu-India

10.  Among the mangled mangroves: Bhitarkanika, Odisha-India

11.  On the World’s flattest Country: Male, Maldives

12.  In a place symbolizing state of mind: Bali, Indonesia

13.  Gorging Delicious Hilsa Fish all Year Round:  Geylang Road, Singapore

14.  Strolling over a bridge on River Kwai: Kanchanaburi, Thailand

15.  Navigating the legendry Mekong: Luang Prabang, Laos

16.  A Free Pillion Ride on A Rickety Motorcycle: Hanoi, Vietnam 

17.  In a conflict zone: DMZ, North-South Korea

18.  Lost in a Treeless Forest: Stone forest, Kunming-China

19.  Blown away in the Windiest City: Hsinchu, Taiwan

20.  Visiting a Temple, a Bust, and a Mystery: Tokyo, Japan

21.  Catching bullet trains, cherry blossoms and an obsessive toilet culture: Tokyo Japan

22.  Along the longest coastline with Infinite Sunsets: Cebu, Philippines

23.  Adventure in island filled with witches, folklore and mysticism: Siquijor, Philippines

24.  Scouting in world’s top sporting city: Melbourne, Australia

25.  At a Neolithic burial ground 11,000 years old: Sanliurfa, Turkey

26.  From Europe to Asia without crossing a border: Istanbul, Turkey

27.  Trip to a Roman city, but not in Rome: Plovdiv, Bulgaria

28.  Hungry in Hungary and the ‘Bowl’ to Surprise! Budapest, Hungary

29.  Nauseated inside a gas chamber: Auschwitz, Poland

30.  Adventures in Tintin land: Brussels, Belgium

31.  Speech at the University of Zurich: Zurich, Switzerland

32.  By the side of the Bard, Burials, and Being British: Birmingham & London, England

33.  Out in Canadian cold: Old City of Quebec, Canada

34.  On the world’s remotest place conducting business: Hawaii, USA

35.  Fascinated by a jewel of a city out of nowhere: Oro Preto, Brazil

36.  Invited to the world’s southernmost country: Vina del Mar, Chile

 

 

 

 


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